Sidearm

Here's a very simple remix on the Sidecar that used up a lonely remaining Seville orange.  I kinda wish I'd been able to get this out earlier for Mixology Monday, since it seems to fit this month's criteria pretty well.  It's not particularly fancy, but it turned out well for all its simplicity.

2 oz cognac (grade not too critical here, but I used a cheap-ish VSOP)
1/2 oz Mathilde Poire
1/2 oz Seville orange juice
1 dash Angostura bitters

Shake and strain into a cocktail glass.  Garnish with a thin orange slice, if you have any left.

Moroccan Haze

Here's a potent and slightly foggy cocktail that was too good not to write down.

1 1/4 oz cognac (VSOP grade or better would be nice)
1/4 oz absinthe
1/4 oz Cynar (I haven't tried Cocchi Torino, Carpano Antica, or other reasonably bitter vermouths, but I have every reason to expect that any of them would work; however, the herbal notes of Cynar have an interesting synthesis with the absinthe)
1/4 oz rooibos tea syrup
2 dashes ras-el-hanout bitters (I'll get around to publishing a recipe someday, I swear)
2 dashes orange bitters

Stir and strain into a cocktail glass; garnish with a large orange coin squeezed to express the oil.

Beignroni

A french-y version of the wonderful Itatian-ish Negroni, one of my personal favorite cocktails?  Sure, and why not call it something that nobody will be able to pronounce correctly?  Say the first part like "beinget".

1 oz cognac
1 oz Cynar
1 oz sweet vermouth
1 dash orange bitters

Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

French 75 Variations

I am a big fan of the French 75, which is itself a riff on the Collins, the grandfather of all long drinks.  Here are a couple of random, experimental variations which proved too tasty not to write down.

#1:
1 3/4 oz Plymouth gin (London Dy would work well too)
1/2 oz Aperol
1/2 oz real pomegranate grenadine
1/2 oz lemon juice

#2:
1 3/4 oz aquavit (I used North Shore, which is recommended if you can find it, Linie if you cannot)
3/4 oz Cocchi Americano
1/2 oz citrus syrup
1/3 oz orange juice
1/3 oz lemon juice

#3
1 3/4 oz cognac
1/2 Galliano
1/2 oz Rothman & Winter apricot liqueur
3/4 oz lemon juice

For all of the above: shake and strain over fresh rocks in a tall glass, then top with 1 oz Champagne or Cava.

The Gang's All Here

I just really like the name of this one.  The mix of different ingredients is rather unusual, but somehow manages to balance the qualities of each base against each other.  Like the Widow's Kiss, it's a drink that doesn't really look like it should work but somehow does.

3/4 oz London Dry gin
3/4 oz applejack (I like Laird's 100-proof Apple Brandy)
3/4 oz cognac (regular old brandy won't cut it here)
1 oz yellow Chartreuse (though I love it, the green stuff is too concentrated to work here)
1 dash simple syrup
4 dashes orange bitters

Stir and strain into a coupe or cocktail glass; garnish with an orange or lemon wheel and sip carefully.

Look, it's not a drink for everyone.  Not at all.  It's very much a drink for people like myself, who like weird stuff like the Widow's Kiss.  But I think it deserves a try.

The Blazing Fireplace

Here's a spontaneous Christmas drink.  Enjoy and have a very merry one.

1 oz rye whiskey
1 oz cognac
3/4 oz cranberry-apple syrup
3 dashes orange bitters

Shake lightly and strain into a chilled cocktail glass; add about 1 oz chilled brut champagne.  Grate nutmeg on top and smile.